


Love and Hate

by VirginiasWolf



Series: Life Moves On [20]
Category: Death in Paradise
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-11
Updated: 2019-11-11
Packaged: 2021-02-01 05:24:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,488
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21396238
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VirginiasWolf/pseuds/VirginiasWolf
Summary: Camille gets in a fight with Humphrey which ends up leading to something surprisingly nice with Richard.Part of the Life Moves on Series
Relationships: Camille Bordey/Richard Poole
Series: Life Moves On [20]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1456375
Comments: 6
Kudos: 15





	Love and Hate

**Author's Note:**

> I'm sorry for including the "walking haystack" (I have never quite forgotten that nickname and I think it started my descent into "Yeah, I guess I do kind of hate the dude") but this plot point felt like it had to come up. Also, I've officially decided that in the universe of this fic series the relationship between Richard and Humphrey could best be described as frenemies although thankfully this time it isn't the punchy kind of frenemy.

It's the last full day on Saint Marie before a short trip to visit Fidel and Juliette on Saint Lucia and then back to the sleety streets of London in January, and Camille is surprised to admit that when she thinks of home her first thoughts go to London now and she is actually excited to be going back to it. Of course, the thought of Saint Lucia excites her too. She can't wait to see how much Rosie has grown and Fidel has insisted that Richard actually come and talk to his coworkers, but more than anything Camille wants to not feel like she and her husband are under the constantly scrutinizing eyes of their friends and relatives.

  
In fact, she can feel the tension even now. They're in La Kaz, as they have been spending so many of their days, and Camille is sitting at a table with Dwayne, Florence, and Humphrey. Richard is across the room chatting with her mother at the bar and Camille can't help but smile about seeing the two get along so well. Dwayne and Florence are also excitedly regaling Camille with the tale of a recent case, the one where JP was reunited with Rosey, who had been his highschool crush. 

  
Humphrey however does not look excited. Instead, he casts a quick glance towards Richard and Catherine at the bar before turning back to Camille. "I just think you jumped too quickly into marriage."

  
There's a split second where Camille has to process the words, as they have no foundation in the previous conversation, but when they do sink in she finds herself immediately seeing red and clutching at her half-drunken glass of rum. "Excuse me?!" 

  
Humphrey, ever the daft one, takes this as some sort of indication that Camille hasn't actually heard what he said and starts to repeat himself, "I just think you jumped..."

  
Camille can feel her hand twitching against the glass, half ready to throw its contents into Humphrey's face if he finishes his phrase, but luckily Dwayne intervenes. "She heard you the first time, but you've pissed her off, and rightfully so."

  
As Dwayne is speaking, Camille gets up out of her seat and begins to stalk across the bar. No need to turn this into a blowup when she can just go join her mother and Richard instead.

  
It doesn't take her long to realize that Humphrey is following her. "There's hardly any reason to be angered by my comment. Marriage is a big commitment and two months is hardly enough time to decide you're ready to spend the rest of your life with someone. I think I'm the perfect person to comment on how quickly a marriage can go sour." He almost sounds like he could be being considerate, but Camille knows exactly how he still feels about her. In his mind Camille was supposed to take however long she needed in Paris to find herself and then come back to be with him.

  
Although he could have hardly expected Richard to be waiting for her across the ocean, as Camille hadn't even expected this herself, insisting she's rushed into marriage without fully understanding who she was committing to is insulting. In the year after she'd lost Richard, which had also been the year she'd known Humphrey, Camille had spent most nights lying in bed and crying herself to sleep with only a photo for comfort. Each night she'd remember something else about Richard which she'd thought she'd forgotten. Little tidbits that she once would have claimed drove her to insanity but became so dear to her after she realized she'd never see them again. Although she certainly hadn't been preparing herself to be reunited with the man, she feels as if those nights spent remembering him led to a deeper understanding of the once frustrating enigma that is Richard Poole. Even in "death", Richard had been the man who had held her heart in his hands. Humphrey had held only some temporary facade that she had constructed around herself while pretending to be okay.

  
"My marriage is hardly comparable to what yours was, Inspector Goodman! I did not rush into things with blinders over my eyes. I know exactly who I married, and he knows exactly who he married!" She's almost certain the eyes of both her friends and of complete strangers are on them, but she doesn't really care. Maybe a public audience will be enough to show Humphrey how stupid he is being.

  
For a second Humphrey looks surprised, but he doesn't stay silent nearly long enough to think. They're both in the heat of the argument. "You have absolutely nothing in common with him."

  
At this Camille can't help but let out a snort. "Exactly what kind of person am I, Inspector? And what kind of person is my husband? Think carefully before you answer, after all, you're trying to insist you know my own life better than I do. I'll be over at the bar when you've finally figured it out."

  
Finally, Camille does manage to make it to the bar where her mother and Richard are still standing and before she can speak her mother hands her another glass of rum.   
She isn't sure exactly how to deal with how she now feels. Humphrey is being downright ridiculous, but she wouldn't be quite as irritated with him if Richard hadn't heard the argument. She knows Richard's mind well enough to know that hearing the comments about how they supposedly have nothing in common will plant doubts in his mind. Even if Humphrey is really just being stupidly clueless, as she assumes he is, he has no idea of the damage he has caused.

  
A quick glance at Richard standing next to her reveals that he is standing almost rigidly. She wants to say something to comfort him, but she also doesn't want to make him feel foolish in front of everybody else. 

  
Luckily before she can say anything, her mother states, "You'd think the detective inspector would have enough insight not to insult people, especially not the daughter of the owner of the bar he is drinking in. I could put something in his drink if you would like?"

  
"Maman," Camille sighs before looking over at Richard. At least he's not so far sunken into his funk that he doesn't look horrified by her mother's offer. 

  
"Since you won't take my offer, I think you should both sneak away while Dwayne has him distracted and go for a nice walk along one of the island's many beaches. Have some alone time together."

  
The suggestion makes Richard turn red, but Camille decides that they really do need to talk to each other alone. It's the only way to do damage control against Humphrey's stupidity, so without taking time to think she grabs her husband's hand and begins to lead him out of the bar.

  
For several minutes they walk holding hands without talking. Camille can feel the tension radiating from Richard's body and she hates it. Whoever said that words could never hurt you clearly hadn't met someone who had spent most of their life being abused, or perhaps didn't consider mental hurt to be hurt.

  
She isn't surprised by his comment when he finally speaks, but that doesn't mean she actually likes hearing it. "What if he's actually right...about us having nothing in common? I mean I can't even eat half the food you were raised on without getting sick and I'm still far happier sitting at home and watching Antiques Roadshow than I ever will be going out to bars and having drinks with our friends."

  
Camille stops walking and turns to face Richard, holding both of his hands in hers as she speaks. "As long as you have no plans to leave me for Fiona Bruce, those are superficial things."

  
"Camille, why would I..." Richard looks at her confused for a second and she realizes that her tease has gone over his head.

  
Trying not to sound annoyed Camille lets out a soft breath. "The point is I have dated men who were very similar to me before, and I don't think I could have dealt with being married to any of them. Yes, we are different people, but having differences gives us more opportunities to work together and solve the problems they cause, and I want to solve problems with you. That is what marriage is supposed to be about. Me and you against whatever problem is thrown at us. So, what are we going to do against this problem?"

  
One of those adorable half-smiles forms on Richard's lips and although he had been looking down at their hands before, he raises his gaze to make eye contact. "I guess we should talk about it."

  
"Great." Camille looks around the beach for a moment. "Let's go find a bench to sit on."

  
"Or we could just sit down right here."

  
At this Camille can't help but gape for a moment. "On the sand?" Richard starts to look sullen for a moment as if he suddenly no longer wants to talk and Camille decides to stop teasing. She really does want to tackle this problem with him. "Alright, we can stay right here."

  
After a moment of just silently sitting on the sand Richard states, "It's always been humiliating for me when I hear the comments people make when they find out we're together, but at least when the comments come from strangers I know they're just too shallow to see beyond the colors of our skin or the sound of our voices, but when the speaker is someone that actually knows us I can't help but wonder if there is something wrong. With me that is. You're perfect and vivacious and everyone loves you, and I'm just the ugly freak you chose to take pity on and marry."

  
Camille had been willing to let Richard just talk through his feelings until he'd uttered that last words. She always hates when he talks about himself like that. He isn't calling himself an ugly freak out of an attempt to garner pity from her, he probably genuinely believes that he is one and this causes a vicious lump to form in her throat as she tries to fight back tears that want to fall. No, she won't fight the tears. If he can see exactly how much his words hurt her then perhaps he'll realize exactly how wrong they are. "Richard, you are not allowed to talk about yourself like that. You are a handsome, intelligent, kind, wonderful man and I won't stand for you trying to claim otherwise."

  
"Well Inspector Goodman seems to have some opinions to the contrary," Richard snorts, turning to look at her.

  
"I don't think Humphrey's opinions count for much considering he doesn't even know me that well, so he certainly can't know enough about you to tell whether or not we are compatible." As she speaks Camille carefully attempts to scoot closer to her husband without getting sand up her sundress. It takes slightly more effort than she'd like, but by the time she has finished speaking her head is resting on his shoulder. "I wasn't exactly myself during that year. I spent most of the time I was around other people trying to keep them from knowing exactly how much I was suffering from losing you. I think I was also trying to find ways to feel alive again, so I did so many stupid dangerous things that I don't think I ever would have done with a clear head. I'm sure that Camille must have looked like a lot of fun, but she was hardly having a good time."

  
"And is she having a good time now?" Richard asks almost as if he is unsure of what the answer will be.

  
Camille leans over to steal a long kiss before pulling away and responding. "Well, she would probably be having a much better time if she wasn't getting sand up her sundress, but overall she's certainly much happier."

  
"Right. Of course." Richard stands up and offers his hand which Camille takes gratefully. "Shall we head back to the bar and see what kind of damage control has been done on our behalf?"

  
"Only if you want to."

  
Richard thinks for a moment before responding. "I do want to. I...I want to spend one more night with our friends, and I really would like to dance several dances with you. Slow ones preferably, and directly in Inspector Goodman's line of vision if it is at all possible."

  
At this Camille can't help but giggle. "That is surprisingly generous for an act of revenge."

  
"Well, you said so yourself, I'm a rather kind-hearted individual. What exactly would you have us doing?"

  
"Nothing that I would want my mother to witness."

  
At this Richard's eyes go wide and he mutters, "Good heavens Camille, I swear your mind is absolutely filthy. Rather unbecoming for a proper lady I'd say."

  
"I'm not proper, I'm French." Before Richard can respond she takes off running down the beach urging him to chase her. 

  
Richard finally catches her just outside of La Kaz. For a moment they both stand out of breath before Richard does something that surprises her. His lips crash into hers as his arms wrap around her back he partially lifts her up so that she is forced to wrap her legs around his waist as a wall braces her back. The surprising public makeout is thrilling, intoxicating even and she isn't sure exactly how long it goes on before she hears the sound of someone clearing their throat nearby.

  
When she pulls away from Richard she can see Humphrey Goodman who looks at them mortified for a second before turning to head into the bar a little too quickly.

In the aftermath, Camille can't help but look at Richard as she tries and fails to suppress a giggle. "So I guess we're calling that slow dancing now, huh?"

  
In response, Richard fakes a scowl. "Camille, I think you know full well that slow dancing looks absolutely nothing like that. A crazy French woman forced me to chase her down the beach and I simply got a tad bit hot-blooded in the process. I didn't even know that Inspector Goodman was standing on that patio with his back turned just enough that the moment he turned around he would see us."

  
Realizing that Richard likely had been trying to enact a form of "revenge" more along the lines of what she'd teased him about wanting Camille can't help but burst out giggling again. "So that's the official story you're going to tell your wife?"

  
"Yep. Now can we please go inside the bar. All of our activities have made me feel I am terribly in need of a cup of tea."


End file.
